Currently, network-based applications are available to users, customers, clients, etc. (“client”) over a network be it the Internet, wide area network (“WAN”), and the like, from an application provider (“provider”).
Typically, in order to improve the quality of the application that is offered and available to the client, access to the application is provided over the network via a virtual private network (“VPN”). Whether a VPN is employed or not, there are inherent shortcomings this type of application delivery model. The quality of the network-based application is inevitably diminished by various factors including, but not limited to, bandwidth problems, latency, jitter, and packet loss.
Often, the application provider, in providing various network-based application(s), seeks ways to distinguish their services (i.e., providing network-based applications) over competitor providers. That is, besides providing the de facto application to the client, providers enlist various enhancement tools, components, or methods, prior to the providing of the application, during the providing of the application, and as an ongoing service to the customer (e.g., a type of feedback mechanism) in order to offer an enhanced service over their competitors.
Currently, application providers may offer tools such as pre-delivery assessment (i.e., analyzing existing customer IT infrastructure and processes) and determining between existing capability and desired outcomes. The provider may also implement a consolidation of the customer architecture in order to help optimize the basis for service capabilities of the provider's demand management platform.
While helpful, these current methodologies do not necessarily optimize service solutions for the customer. Thus, a need exists for improving or optimizing a service solution to the customer.